What to Expect in the New Year

Or How to Survive the Potential Oncoming Apocalypse

Happy New Year, everyone. It is the second day of the new year of 2024 and things are already heating up.

If you live in the Washington, DC area like I do, I want to give you guys a heads-up on what is coming on January 13 starting at 1 p.m. There will be a March on Washington for Gaza that will be held on the National Mall. (That's the area where the National Gallery of Art and many of the Smithsonian museums are located.) Here’s a flyer that's being passed around on social media (along with accusations that the sponsoring groups of that march are being funded by Qatar).

That flyer has already been altered and mocked as the March on Washington for Hamas.

Unless you feel the need to physically be there to take a stand on the Israel-Hamas battle, you may want to avoid downtown DC in that area on January 13. No matter where you stand on that issue, you should agree with the idea that these people have every right to have this demonstration as long as they do it in a peaceful nonviolent way. I would strongly advise the march participants to leave the red paint at home this time because, as I said before, that is the kind of stuff that will turn off people to the message of your protest.

So 2024 will have both the ongoing Israel-Hamas clashes and Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. It also looks like Venezuela and Guyana is going to heat up as well. The UK is sending one of its warships off the coast of Guyana (which is a member of the British Commonwealth) in order to conduct training exercises. Venezuela has responded by conducting its own military drills. At this point anything can happen ranging from both military drills being uneventful to Venezuela launching a sudden invasion of Guyana.

This year a huge number of countries are having elections, including both Russia and the US. The Russian election is taking place in March and, yes, Vladimir Putin is running for reelection and he's doing everything possible to insure his reelection. Recently the Central Election Commission had rejected the presidential candidacy of Yekaterina Dunysova, who was running on a pro-peace and pro-democracy platform, on the grounds of paperwork errors.

And then there is the US election in November. Donald Trump is still running for president despite his multiple criminal indictments and the fact that his name has been removed from the Republican primary ballots in Colorado and Maine on the grounds that he participated in an insurrection on January 6, 2021. On top of that, there are his ongoing health issues. His regular McDonald's diet, his famous aversion to exercise (on the grounds that it may kill you sooner), and his rumored use of Adderall are taking a toll on him. I've seen some recent photos of him at Mar-a-Lago and none of them are very flattering. There is a strong chance that he may pull this off by becoming the Republican nominee and we'll end up with a rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden. There's an equally strong chance that Trump may die or get sent to prison before November, with either scenario being a complete disaster to a Republican Party that has long been extremely deferential towards Trump. There are Kremlin propagandists who are now doing everything possible to interfere enough in this election so Trump will win once again. Since Trump has indicated in his speeches and interviews that he will rule as a dictator, there is a possibility that, should Trump win, 2024 will be the last year that the US will have elections for the foreseeable future.

If Trump loses, expect him to claim that the election was rigged. He has a history of doing just that, going as far back as his celebrity businessman days when he claimed that rigged votes are the main reason why his reality TV show The Apprentice have never won an Emmy. Any claim of a rigged 2024 vote could inflame his most devout supporters into committing more violent acts just like what happened at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

And speaking of which, this Saturday will be the third anniversary of that awful event.

For those of us who still believe in American democracy and the rule of law, we will have our work cut out for us. The biggest challenge will be facing burnout along with feelings of depression and anxiety. It is critical that you engage in self-care as much as possible. If you neglect your own well-being, you could end up facing all kinds of stress-related health problems that could be debilitating and, in extreme cases, lead to death.

There's no shame in taking a day or two off to focus on yourself. It's not selfish to take a break. In fact, it's imperative that you do so. The work can wait for your return. Self-care can help with rejuvenating your mind and spirit that will make you more prepared to take on the needed tasks to fight off Kremlin propaganda and save democracy.

There are a lot of self-care options available. You can engage in hobbies like collecting dolls or collecting Funko Pops or crafting or gardening. Some self-care options cost money, such as spending the day at a spa, eating out at your favorite restaurant or going to the movies. Others are free or low-cost, such as going for a walk in a public park, spending the day at a beach, checking out a book from the public library and reading it, engaging in meditation, and visiting a historic site. Even doing something as simple as relaxing in a warm bubble bath can do a lot for you. No matter how you engage in self-care, it's imperative that you do so on a regular basis for your own sake.

If you need guidance on how you can do this while achieving balance in your life, I highly recommend reading Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. That book has tips on how to incorporate self-care with work so you can live a more balanced life and be even more prepared to take on life's challenges.

I also would suggest unplugging from social media at certain intervals. Social media can be toxic at times and can lead to depression and anxiety. Such unplugging can leave you with more time to focus on other things, such as engaging in self-care.

So now it's time to get to work while balancing self-care at the same time.

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